Till Eternity
by SoniaM2005
Summary: Crisis Core, FFVII, Maiden Who Travels Aerith/Aeris and Zack meet in the lifestream after she gets killed by Sephiroth. However, Zack realizes she is in love with Cloud already. But is it too late for him to claim her back? ZackxAerith/Aeris OneShot


**This is my first try at a Final Fantasy Fic. Let alone a Zack x Aerith/Aeris one so be kind! I followed the entire Crisis Core story and then the original story plus recently ****The Maiden who Travels the Planet about Aerith/Aeris and I was torn to see that she said she loved Cloud more than Zack. He gave his life to see her! In a way he did, since he was fighting his way back to Midgar to be with her. He was so close :(**

**So I thought to myself, I just HAVE to do something about this to make my heart to rest :) I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!**

**PS - REMINDER! I'm not a total Final Fantasy expert so there might be some things that might not make sense or a little too cliche' for som****ething like Final Fantasy. But hey, it IS a fanfic remember? Purely made for entertainment :)**

**Basically this centers around Maiden Who Travels the Planet and Crisis Core. This story is strictly for "Zerith/Zeris" fans so I don't want any bashing against the pairing. I respect Cloud x Aerith/Aeris pairings so I would appreciate if you guys would do the same :) ENJOY!**

**A/N - WARNING! Rating is T and though this has no actual sexual content, it does have a few innuendos here and there but nothing too repulsive. I beleive everyone can read this with an open mind :)**

Disclaimer - I do not own any of the characters game etc. all belonging to Square Enix and to whom it may concern to :)

* * *

**Inspirational Songs**

_Aerith to Zack – Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis_

_Zack to Aerith – Home by Chris Daughtry_

**I think they fit perfectly :) Take a look at the lyrics and you'll know why!**

* * *

"Cloud... I miss you. I miss the real you..."

Aerith stared out into the empty horizon of the Sea of Mako. For some reasons, she felt something was approaching but she couldn't bring herself to look around. _Was it someone else rather than Dyne or the old man? _

_Or…?_

**A/N - For more effect, play Aeris's Theme (Piano) here :)**

A pair of strong arms gently encircled around her tiny waist.

She tilted her head to the side, turning to try and get a glimpse of this person. She looked down to see a familiar looking gloved hands clasped softly. Her breath suddenly was caught in her throat when a head rested on her shoulder. The scent of this mysterious person was piercing right through her heart, if she could still feel it, that is.

"Za…?" but she couldn't finish it.

She didn't want to give any hope in this, _ever_. She could probably still feel the blade of Sephiroth plunging into her and the world around her crumbled into further darkness. If that blade couldn't finish her dignity off entirely, _this_ dreaded thing, _hope_, would. But the arms released it self just as gentle as it came.

She couldn't hold it any longer. "Zack…?" And the replying voice was so sudden, she wasn't even prepared to hear it again after those years.

"Aerith…"

She didn't know what to say. But evidently he did and she couldn't help noticing that his voice sounded strange.

"Did you really mean what you said?"

"I…said…?"

"That your love for someone else now was so much more than for me."

Aerith gasped and turned around. _How could he have…heard? _

The solid image of her first love stood with his arms folded and head tilted down, thinking. She could still see his familiar beautiful blue eyes that were taking her breath away again. But his expression was solemn and grave, which seemed to be ironic considering he was always a carefree spirit to her.

He suddenly snapped out from his thoughts and nodded at her awkwardly. "I heard your thoughts floating out there. That's probably the reason why I awoke anyway."

"Did you see all of them…?"

He still wasn't looking directly at her. "As much as you had allowed me to see. I realize you are acquainted with Cloud?"

Zack shrugged after a moment. "I suppose I don't blame you. I was away for a while but I just want you to know that…" and Zack finally looked at her properly and broke into the grin that had always captivated her, "I never forgot about you. I was coming home, to you. But…"

Zack looked up and sighed. "Let's just say, it was harder the closer I got."

A cold stab of reality sunk into Aerith. "You…died?"

He didn't answer.

Aerith's heart was now breaking to pieces. "What about the letters…? Those years…of…?" and she trailed off as Zack shook his head slowly.

"I saw your last letter only four years later when I broke out from the ShinRa mansion's Mako Chamber and I took Cloud with me. The last phone call we had was the day I was locked away after Sephiroth massacred the entire Nibelheim village. But you know about that massacre, don't you?"

"Recently, yes…"

Zack made his way over to Aerith once more. "I meant to keep that promise. I was coming back."

Aerith bit her lip.

His blue eyes melted right into hers. "And I am so sorry, if I ever did anything to make you doubt that."

He embraced her softly and she did the same, never wanting him to let go. But he broke the moment firmly but as gentle as he could.

"I read your wishes though. I read it before I began to make my way back to Midgar, which you were my reason to anyway. And I wish the same thing too. There is nothing more than I could ever want than to spend the rest of my life with you. But I suppose it's pretty late now."

She remembered those words all too clear.

_There are 23 luxuries, but you probably won't remember. There is only one thing I want the most and that is to be together with you more often. _

He gave her a small smile once again, "Good luck with helping AVALANCHE. Sephiroth is a tough old bird. But I reckon all of you can do it, seeing the man Cloud has become now."

Aerith nodded slowly.

"Call me if you get lonely. I'll be around."

He lifted his hand with a cheeky salute, probably trying his best to stay cheerful. "Take care."

She began to panic, realizing he was turning around to sink back into that Mako Sea. But watching him walk away began to fuse more memories of theirs together. From what they had, what could have been, and what shouldn't be…

"Zack! No, no, no! Please don't…" her voice echoing his distant footsteps.

* * *

Aerith rested her cheek on her hands, leaning her elbow against her desk. Tonight was going to be the last night before Zack would be leaving to Nibelheim. She wondered what he was thinking of right now. Was he thinking of her as well?

Her toilet door burst open and Zack came out with only his boxers and a towel he was using to dry his wet hair which he was dripping water everywhere. Aerith turned around and gasped slightly when she saw that Zack hadn't any proper clothes on. Zack noticed Aerith's flabbergasted expression and grinned in amusement.

"Looks like you found something else besides my eyes that is beautiful."

She quickly looked away and covered her eyes, "Zack!"

He laughed. "Alright, alright. No peeking."

"Don't worry, not planning to."

As she heard Zack slipping on his clothes again, she giggled. "I can still see that cart you made for me from the window. I'll probably use it again tomorrow."

Zack snickered. "You and your luxuries. I bet you'll want me to make you an even bigger cart next time. Following your idea of it being cuter too."

Aerith nodded. "That's the plan."

"It's safe to look behind now," Zack teased.

Aerith carefully peeked from behind her fingers before nodding in relief at the now, fully clothed Zack. "That's better."

Zack rolled his eyes jokingly as he went over to Aerith. "How big do you want the cart to be next time?"

"As big until it is…able to fit me inside!" Aerith decided as she stood up to let Zack embrace her.

Zack slumped his shoulders. "It's a good thing you're beautiful."

Aerith hit his shoulders lightly. "I don't mind if one day you can push me around in it. You can give me a ride in the cart next time, right?"

Zack's eyes sparkled mischievously as he leaned forward, their faces just inches away. "I can personally give you a ride you'll never forget right now."

Aerith took a minute before she realized what Zack was implying.

Her face began to redden and she fidgeted in his arms as she groaned, "Zack…"

He laughed again. "Yes, I'll make you a cart as big as that. Anything for you."

Zack pulled Aerith over to her bed and she rested her head on his shoulder. "How long do you think you'll be away?"

"Honestly, I don't know. To tell you the truth, I'll be just waiting for a call from Sephiroth to whisk me away again. Things are changing so quickly now. I don't know when I'll be able to contact you. But feel free to just try and get through the line."

Aerith sighed. "You better pick up, okay?"

Zack kissed her two cheeks. "Definitely."

"Are you allowed to write to me? Maybe you can find a time to reply my letters instead of answering unplanned calls."

Zack nuzzled into her hair. "Alright. Mind you, I'm not an expert in writing long romantic letters."

"As long as I can still hear from you."

It was Zack's turn to sigh. "You're killing me, Aerith. Once this mission is over, I'll try to buy some time to stay longer with you. And somehow permanently stationed here and get less missions in moving from place to place. That way…"

"…we can," he moved down to kiss her forehead.

"…spend more," and he brushed his lips on her neck.

He looked back up to see her peach skin turning rosy as her eyes met his. Aerith knew she was having a hard time trying to resist Zack any longer. Here he was, right in front of her. He could have chosen any other girl with those charms and looks, but somehow, his infatuation with her was undeniable. Besides, even she had her own urges to give in to. It was hard to stay conservative when you were linked to someone so outgoing and daring as Zack was. Everything about him to her was so…_unbearable_.

"…time together," and his hands clasped around her back and his mouth came down on hers.

It was slow and gentle at first, but when Aerith pulled him closer by wrapping her arms around his neck, it began more passionate. The silence around them probably made it more amazing as the dim lights of her room contributed to the moment of lust. Her soft hands traveled through his hair and gently teased the ends of his spikes.

"Your hair is still damp…" she whispered between the kisses.

She could feel Zack smiling against her lips. "Sorry about that."

"I kind of miss your old hair before you styled it into this one. Those long strands at the front…"

"I'll consider that…"

"Mm…"

Before Aerith knew it, she and Zack were lying on the bed and Zack stopped all his movements and looked at her. "Do you trust me?"

Aerith answered barely a whisper. "I trust you…"

It was easier for Zack to remove his clothes, considering how confident he was with his body. But for Aerith perhaps, was a different story. Maybe he even had done this before with other girls, but Zack had assured her once it was only her who had truly captured his attention. Zack allowed Aerith to remove her ribbon as he ran his fingers through her soft hair, parting the tight braid marks. He leaned in to kiss her again as he trailed his hands from her shoulders, to her waist, to her thighs and calf, hitching it around his own waist.

There was only one thing Aerith had to remove and it was only her top left on her. She removed it slowly, but cautiously, wondering whether he would be repulsed by the way she looked or if he still did find her attractive in that sense. But Zack only deepened the kiss to a fiercer one, perhaps a little more intense than he normally does. Aerith hands moved to the side, dropping her top over the side of the bed before Zack's hand intertwined with hers, allowing the two of them to be covered in total bliss and ecstasy.

* * *

But the sudden departure of Zack after that left her craving his company even more. The letters weren't enough and the phone calls were limited. But he remained cheerful and humorous. She felt his liveliness always written with the scribbles across the letters. Then, she remembers the last phone call so clearly.

"Aerith!" his voice flowed excitedly through the lines.

"Finally, I've got through to you! Where have you been?"

"Sorry honey, I'm still in the villages of Nibelheim. It's hard to get good signals out here. How's everything?"

"I miss you…when are you coming home?"

"Soon, hopefully," then Zack stopped for awhile, before continuing sheepishly, "I'm going to have to call you back. I'm actually in the middle of something right now."

Aerith's heart fell. "Oh, it's okay. You don't have to if you can't…"

Zack twisted his mouth before deciding, "I'll be coming home soon. The minute I reach back to Midgar I'll go straight to you. And I'll build you any amount of flower carts you want. I'll take you out for dinner and I'll stay over too."

"Really…?" though Aerith sounded doubtful.

Zack nodded. "I promise."

"I'll be waiting…"

_And waiting and waiting…_All those meaningless 89 letters written were now drifting off to become memories. Those days of waiting for him to show up were turning to nothing. She tried to forget, maybe he had done the same to her. During those long years, she knew at the back of her mind, he was always there. She could never get rid of his presence. Something told her what she believed of him was not what it seemed. But what do you do when the man you love just fades a little every moment? And when there was someone else that entered into your life, no matter how much you loved someone, if there was someone else willing to fill his place, eventually you move on so that the empty hole building up inside can be filled…

* * *

"…leave me."

The words floated like ghostly whispers across the vast horizon. Zack stopped walking, but what's this? Tears were seeping down her cheeks. Was this even possible when you aren't even alive anymore? She had to remember what her purpose was now. She had to guide…to help…and above all, to sacrifice for the greater good. But the security she found in those arms that were picking her up would remain superior to all.

Zack rested his lips against her hair. "I would never leave you."

He kissed her softly a few times as she went limp in his arms. Finally, he crushed her gently against him, savoring the moment of the reunion to saturate the air.

Aerith buried her face into his chest, taking in his scent that was still there. She didn't want this to end, but there were still so many things to be done. Why was everything so complicated? Cloud was still out there, and so many things depended on her even though she was now unable to do her part together with them.

"I love you..."

"I love you too. Always have," Zack murmured into her hair.

After what seemed like eternity, Zack pulled back and his eyes were dancing with the energy of a SOLDIER.

"It's not over yet, Aerith. There is still work to do. We can go honeymooning later."

Aerith laughed. Zack hadn't changed and his sense of humor, neither did his charms. She nodded, and for the first time, she was confident enough to know what she was going to do next. Love can wait, at least for now. She swatted his shoulder teasingly again, like they did when they were young during those years ago.

Hand in hand, Zack and Aerith walked through that misty sea, prepared to face what lay ahead together as her fate walked beside her.

_END (or is it a new beginning?)_

* * *

_Zack and Aerith - Two people who were seperated by fate but reunited by death._

* * *

**Sorry if they seem a little OOC but Zack is, sorta more mature now, especially after everything he went through. I did manage to try and make him still boyish and immature in some parts no? :)**

**REVIEWS! Tell me what you think! Remember, reviews are LOVE! Try not to flame me too hard if you do. But with some sense and constructive critism. Remember, it is a fanfic and entirely made up just for entertainment purposes :)**

**Zack x Aerith forever :)**


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